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Music man big al 4sss favorite settings please

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BMAZZOLA

New member
Joined
May 8, 2013
Messages
2
Location
Irvine, CA
Guys:

Just got a new Big Al 4sss bass. What are some of your favorite settings? Are any close to other basses as P, J, Warwick, and the Stingray itself, etc?
 
we once had a Big Al club, it went away.

some of my faves:

for old school P: 1st and 2nd coils (neck is #1, middle #2, and bridge #3) on, passive

for thick and smooth jazz: 1st on, passive

for gnarly jazz: 1st and 3rd coils, passive or active, or just #3 to favor the bridge pickup gnarl

for kick-ass power enough to level small cities: all 3 buttons up (not pressed in) and active

I'm sure there's a stingray tone in there, but its not me, so I never went looking for it.
 
Holdsg said:
we once had a Big Al club, it went away.

some of my faves:

for old school P: 1st and 2nd coils (neck is #1, middle #2, and bridge #3) on, passive

for thick and smooth jazz: 1st on, passive

for gnarly jazz: 1st and 3rd coils, passive or active, or just #3 to favor the bridge pickup gnarl

for kick-ass power enough to level small cities: all 3 buttons up (not pressed in) and active

I'm sure there's a stingray tone in there, but its not me, so I never went looking for it.
Click to expand...

All 3 up was my fave, 2 & 3 down also kicked butt. #2 down by itself is supposed to have some P qualities, although that's not my thang.
 
I have only had my Big Al for about three months now, but I have found that when all three buttons are up and it is in active it makes the world shake. I love it and when I use it really gets people's attention in a good way. Two other personal favs of mine are playing in passive with the button 2 and 3 pushed, really an awesome smooth tone, and recently I have found that keeping it in active and pushing all buttons down gives a nice warm, smooth, but powerful tone that sings.
 
clmjlg said:
I have only had my Big Al for about three months now, but I have found that when all three buttons are up and it is in active it makes the world shake. I love it and when I use it really gets people's attention in a good way. Two other personal favs of mine are playing in passive with the button 2 and 3 pushed, really an awesome smooth tone, and recently I have found that keeping it in active and pushing all buttons down gives a nice warm, smooth, but powerful tone that sings.
Click to expand...

Agreed on passive with 2 & 3 down. For me, it had more of a "vintage" tone. It was great for older classic rock covers.
 
I have no specific settings... it's what sounds good at the time. The bass EQ is used with great caution... a little goes a LONG LONG way.

Most often it's default setting (all buttons up), active. EQ adjusted for the room and the song.

For sizzly, zinging pop/slap I might boost the treble.

For old Motown and such, middle pickup, soloed, passive. P-bass killer.

For quiet standards (e.g. At Last), maybe passive, middle and neck, tone rolled down.
 
I'm wondering if it's a stupid user trick on my part, but with my new SSS, I'm getting a huge variance in volume from setting to setting - and the huge variance isn't consistent. Think I have a preamp problem? I've only had it a few days. Worked great in the first rehearsal Monday, but by yesterday it got..inconsistent. Yes, I changed the batteries.
 
Old_Guy said:
I'm wondering if it's a stupid user trick on my part, but with my new SSS, I'm getting a huge variance in volume from setting to setting - and the huge variance isn't consistent. Think I have a preamp problem? I've only had it a few days. Worked great in the first rehearsal Monday, but by yesterday it got..inconsistent. Yes, I changed the batteries.
Click to expand...

More specifics, please.

There is indeed a big difference between passive mode and active mode. Passive mode doesn't run through the active preamp at all... it's just a tone control.

If you boost any of the frequencies the difference between active and passive will be more pronounced for obvious reasons. They're... boosted....

I suppose the volume can change depending on which frequencies you boost. Example: The bridge pickup emphasizes high harmonics, so it makes sense that if you crank the treble and hi mid and switch from, say, the neck pickup to the bridge, it will get louder.

I use both active and passive during gigs for different kinds of material. I deal with the change by simply not turning the volume up all the way when in active. When a passive song comes along I crank it, then turn it back down for active.
 
The biggest difference is between
- serial mode (the three pickup buttons up)
- and the single or parallel pickup modes
Connecting PUs in serial mode results in double voltage. That's a physical law, not a Musicman specialty ;)
 
adouglas said:
More specifics, please.
Click to expand...

I think I have a disconnected/intermittently loose wire. Ex:
Active Mode, Engage Pup #1 (Neck) - exactly what I'd expect, big tone. Then disengage #1, engage Pup #2 (Middle). NOTHING. Nothing out of the amp. Disengage Active, repeat, lesser volume from Pup #1, nothing from #2.

I probably had some loose wiiring in there; it got me through one 4 hour rehearsal, then...gave way. I suppose I'll have to send it in, as if I horsed around myself in there I'd void the warranty.
 
Old_Guy said:
I think I have a disconnected/intermittently loose wire. Ex:
Active Mode, Engage Pup #1 (Neck) - exactly what I'd expect, big tone. Then disengage #1, engage Pup #2 (Middle). NOTHING. Nothing out of the amp. Disengage Active, repeat, lesser volume from Pup #1, nothing from #2.

I probably had some loose wiiring in there; it got me through one 4 hour rehearsal, then...gave way. I suppose I'll have to send it in, as if I horsed around myself in there I'd void the warranty.
Click to expand...

Definitely contact customer service. You most likely would also notice no sound with all buttons up as well.
 
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